Low-Power Design Analysis and Optimization for Mobile and High-Performance Computing Applications

Low-Power Design Analysis and Optimization for Mobile and High-Performance Computing Applications
by Daniel Payne on 08-23-2013 at 7:36 pm

For several decades now consumers like me have enjoyed using mobile devices including:

  • Transistor radios, my first one had just 6 discreet transistors in the 1960’s
  • HP 21 Calculator, used in college with Reverse Polish Notation, circa 1976
  • Zenith Data Systems laptop, with two floppy drives, 1980’s
  • Palm Pilot V,
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20nm IC production needs more than a ready Foundry

20nm IC production needs more than a ready Foundry
by Pawan Fangaria on 08-23-2013 at 11:00 am

I think by now all of us know, or have heard about 20nm process node, its PPA (Power, Performance, Area) advantages and challenges (complexity of high design size and density, heterogeneity, variability, stress, lithography complexities, LDEs and so on). I’m not going to get into the details of these challenges, but will ponder… Read More


Jasper: Negronis on tap

Jasper: Negronis on tap
by Paul McLellan on 08-22-2013 at 6:26 pm

Did you know that Jasper’s Corner Tap in San Francisco serves Negronis on tap? It’s true. They also have Hanky Panky on tap, which is a Negroni with the Campari replaced with Fernet (which everyone pronounces as Frenet despite it being…well…wrong). And here’s another thing you probably didn’t… Read More


Innovation + Thoughtful Management = Productive Expansion

Innovation + Thoughtful Management = Productive Expansion
by Pawan Fangaria on 08-22-2013 at 12:00 pm

After looking at various aspects of this company, to sum up, I couldn’t find any better statement than this; thoughtful management here is actually leadership with passion which achieves tangible results. This reflects in the methodology of doing things in this company which has given it a place among top EDA companies in a span… Read More


Web-based Circuit Design and Analysis

Web-based Circuit Design and Analysis
by Daniel Payne on 08-21-2013 at 11:27 am

Last month I blogged about CircuitLaband received some two dozen comments, so clearly there is keen interest in using web-based tools for electronic circuit design and using the cloud to save designs plus run simulations. Today I’m reporting on TINACloud, provided by a company called DesignSoft. … Read More


Test, The Forgotten Step-Child of Semiconductor Design

Test, The Forgotten Step-Child of Semiconductor Design
by Paul McLellan on 08-20-2013 at 7:56 pm

Somehow, when designing a chip it is synthesis and place & route that gets all the attention. But it is no good taping out perfect layout without also having away to test the silicon. Somehow, test just isn’t as glamorous.

On September 10-12th is the International Test Conference which, as usual, is at the Disneyland Hotel… Read More


Hogan’s Labor Day Luau

Hogan’s Labor Day Luau
by Paul McLellan on 08-16-2013 at 11:57 am

Jim Hogan is having his annual Heart of Technology charity barbecue at his home in Santa Cruz. This year it is on Saturday August 31st and it’s a luau. It is from 2pm to 8pm at 2171 Sunny Acres Drive, Santa Cruz. Each adult requires a tax-deductible donation of $50 to FleaHab of Santa Cruz County (kids are free).

In addition to Hawaiian… Read More


Let’s Drive To Dearborn on 19th Sep….

Let’s Drive To Dearborn on 19th Sep….
by Pawan Fangaria on 08-15-2013 at 11:00 am


[The VLC developed by Edison2, winner of the Progressive Automotive X-Prize]

Now that we have “The Very Light Car” of the world at more than 100 MPG!! Yes, this is the car developed by Edison2, one among the three winners of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize, a global competition; Edison2 won in the main stream class. … Read More


Happy Birthday Dear Cadence…

Happy Birthday Dear Cadence…
by Paul McLellan on 08-14-2013 at 8:30 pm

Cadence is 25 years old this year, on June 1st if you want to be precise.

The most direct ancestor of Cadence was SDA (which might or might not have stood for Solomon Design Automation). SDA was founded by Jim Solomon in 1983. It turns out that a guy I shared an office with while we were both doing our PhDs in Edinburgh Scotland was one of … Read More


An EDA Acquisition that Worked

An EDA Acquisition that Worked
by Daniel Payne on 08-14-2013 at 5:30 pm

I first heard about Andrew Yang back in 1993 when he founded a Fast SPICE company called Anagram, then acquired by Avant! in 1996. Andrew’s latest EDA company Apache Design, Inc.was started in 2001, then acquired by ANSYS in 2011. Most EDA mergers simply don’t work because of one or more reasons, like:

  • Incompatible
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